Deputy federal territories minister Jalaluddin Alias said this was to encourage a culture of walking among city folk and that DBKL was conducting engagement sessions with those in the affected area to enable the road closure to be realised.

“We want to close Jalan TAR from the junction of Jalan Esfahan to Jalan Tun Perak from 6am to midnight to encourage a culture of walking among the public,” he said during the question-and-answer session in Dewan Negara.

He said this in response to a question by Dominic Lau Hoe Chai on efforts to upgrade pedestrian infrastructure in Kuala Lumpur and promote walking among city folk.

Jalaluddin said various programmes would be held during the road closure, including performances by buskers, creative arts performances and traditional sports.

He said DBKL was also studying plans to close Jalan Pudu until the Jalan Bukit Bintang intersection to traffic.

On the upgrading of pedestrian infrastructure, Jalaluddin said a total of 23 areas had been identified.

“These projects are being planned so that they have a complete network. Once completed, they will give a new image or branding to the areas involved and can indirectly be used as tourist attractions,” he said.

Replying to a supplementary question by Zurainah Musa on steps taken by DBKL to ensure the safety of pedestrians, Jalaluddin said about 5,000 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras had been installed throughout the city, with 2,062 of them focused on pedestrian walkways.

Some 250 enforcement officers would also conduct patrols from time to time, he added.